Leonard A. Slade, Jr., a native of North Carolina, has lived in Albany, New York, since 1988. He is Professor of Africana Studies, Adjunct Professor of English, Collins Fellow, and Citizen Academic Laureate at the University at Albany (SUNY). He is also Past Director of the Humanistic Studies Program and the Master of Arts in Liberal Studies Program. The author of twenty-one books, including fifteen books of poetry, Slade has received a number of national awards for his work. He studied poetry with Pulitzer Prize Winners Stephen Dunn and Donald Justice. His poetry has been praised by Maya Angelou, Gwendolyn Brooks, and Houston A. Baker, Jr.